Somehow I must have gotten busy last year after gatorengineer posted his final messages. Would like to know how it looks after a year and what he's done about the use of -icides. It was interesting rereading how his adamant opinion about the importance of fungicides subsided only slightly to skepticism about organics and then moved to complete acceptance and enthusiasm about it. I'm curious to know what he now thinks of Linda Chalker-Scott and her academic criticism versus his achievements with his lawn. I have done a lot more reading and helped a lot more people over the year, too. I am willing to admit that there are a few issues which are not well addressed by an organic approach, but the general use of organics will alleviate so much of that pressure. As gatorengineer said, it is cheaper and easier. So gatorengineer totally, and successfully hijacked this thread once, now comes Chrissomebody to do it again. I'll go if you want. The topic remains a discussion about using fungicide which turned into another successful organic approach. In all that discussion we never got around to dicusssing how the corn meal works. It works by attracting a predatory fungus called trichoderma (try kuh DER muh). The normally small soil population of trichoderma builds up on the fungus which decomposes the corn meal. Once that original fungus is gone, the trichoderma takes on other fungal species it can find. Since the fungal disease is right there at the surface, it becomes the target. The process takes about 3 weeks to see results. Having said that, since you have already applied a fungicide, you have likely killed off the normally low population of trichoderma. I would watch the grass very carefully for any sign that the fungicide is not working. It should work instantly to stop the spread of the disease. You might need to put out markers in the lawn to show the very edge of the problem area. Watch them daily to see of the grass is improving or getting better or worse. You might take pictures for reference. You'll see spots on the grass bladed indicating the presence of the fungus. Normal St Augustine has no spots at all, anywhere. Here is a picture of healthy St Aug. If you find that the disease has not stopped, then immediately apply excellent, finished compost at a rate of no more than 1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet to restore a healthy colony of all the beneficial microbes you need. If you get your compost in bags, allow it a few days to air out. Just dump it on bare soil somewhere and let it sit. Compost in bags gets smelly mold in it. Resting will allow that smelly mold to be consumed by the beneficial fungi in the compost. Water the compost down and let it sit on the lawn for a few days. The microbes from the compost will wash into the soil. Then apply the corn meal at 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Water only enough to wash the corn meal off the blades and down onto the soil.

I have a few more pics to share of this wierdo. After playing with figs for a couple of years, I must say, the only thing that is not very fig like on this is the leaf bud, most buds are less round and more triangular, but the leaf and shoot is verbatim what I'm seeing from my Carolina Dark and Negronne varieties which are breaking now, and the structure of the stalk (cambium, center, joints, bark, milk, etc.) is precisely the same as ficus carica, and so is with the leaf veins and general leaf shape, texture, smell, everything. Even the shape of the teeny tiny leaf as you see pictured here is correct. Anyway, here are some pictures of the cutting, the odd leaf bud prior to bursting, and a little teeny tiny leaf. I will take some more pictures in a few days when the leaf gets larger. All of them decided that they would break buds before rootlets except the one pictured, but I have some huge whip suckers I've started as well.

Chris, Applying anything to the cut end is not necessary. The cuts need to be at a 45 degree angle, so that any water will be shed off the end of cuts. I have used the "Elmer's Waterproof Glue" and it does leave a very nice Finish and seals it. This is a product that Laura has introduced to many of us. Rick

Taki, generally speaking, water from the roots to shoots move only in one direction through xylem. Imagine a cutting with roots in the middle. Photosynthate from leaves can move in either direction through phloem. You may see shoots try to develop on either side but only the side that faces the right direction for the cutting will actually have a chance of survival. The other side would not. So it is unlikely it will autocorrect itself. Apparently, some and very few plants can correct themselves. Usually vining plants can do it apparently.